Jerel McNeal

[NavinRJohnson]

This is purley anectdotal (and perhaps incorrect), but it sure looks to me like we struggle so badly on the road because Jerel seems to spend most of the first half with his head very far up his...I believe it was the case against WVU, and I know its true today, and was against UL.

[ecompt]

Jerel may be the most frustrating player on the team because there are times you swear it's the first time he ever picked up a basketball. His fundamentals can be abysmal at the worst possible times.

[79Warrior]

Jerel may be the most frustrating player on the team because there are times you swear it's the first time he ever picked up a basketball. His fundamentals can be abysmal at the worst possible times.

His game is not shooting three's!!!  When he is launching that crap you know we are hurting. He should be driving to the hoop, not shooting treys.

The Three Amigos have really been humbled the last two games.

[AlumKCof93]

I don't want to pile on Jerel, but his play has beeen disappointing this year.  He continues to turn the ball over at an incredible rate and his tendency to shoot 3's has got to go.  He is not a 3-pt shooter.  He needs to focus more on rebounding.

[77fan88warrior]

Jerel's body control to the hoop is what makes him great. I'm not sure what demons he is dealing with right now?

[RawdogDX]

please all you lames that dont know the game keep your comments to yourself, mcneal is the best player on the team and without him we would be the worst team in the big east, he is the only one on the court who has a clue besides mo acker who also should be in the starting lineup, seems to me like the coach has his head up his ...., mcneal and hayward are the only ones giving us any type of hope out there

He's great.  But he shoots too many tough shots, throws the ball away too much, and isn't the best off the ball defender.

[NavinRJohnson]

Let me be clear, I love Jerel and I think he is a hell of a player. However, it does seem as if he has a tendency to put MU in a hole early in road games. Perhaps I am painting with a broad brush as I have not actually gone back to look for the supporting evidence, but based purely on recollection, I think I'm right on this.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

McNeal is a great player, but he's been given too much freedom offensively since he got here. What player would be allowed to turn the ball over 6 times and stay in the game, as he did against Louisville?

Hayward should be a much more focal part of the offense than Jerel.

[ecompt]

I think PRN has this right. Jerel should sit after a stupid mistake; instead, he keeps on playing. Maybe TC is afraid of hurting his confidence by sitting him, but, hell, it's Jerel's third year and he should know better.

[NavinRJohnson]

I think PRN has this right. Jerel should sit after a stupid mistake; instead, he keeps on playing. Maybe TC is afraid of hurting his confidence by sitting him, but, hell, it's Jerel's third year and he should know better.

This seems like a tough dilemma for Crean. It is McNeal's aggressiveness and style that makes him a good player. I obviously agree he needs to be more under control since I started this thread, but if you try to reel him in too much, you potentially risk taking away some of that aggressiveness which is his greatest asset. Its a tough one.

[AlumKCof93]

In the past, I don't think Crean has had much of a choice but to play McNeal despite his turnovers b/c you can't stifle the aggressiveness of one of your best players.  But in his 3rd year, its fair to expect McNeal to value each possession and based on recent evidence and his new tendency to shoot 3s at bad times during the game, Crean may have to rethink his approach.

[Eye]

The two best presumed defenders on the team based upon past assessments are McNeal and Cubillan. IMHO McNeal is looking like James last year; looking at times like he's more interested in doing some things to showcase himself for the pros rather than doing the things that got him to this point. There was a play where I thought he failed to hedge a screen in the Louisville game, and there was a play today where I thought he failed to get back in transition. I probably didn't say anything but positive about McNeal's effort the last two years, in fact I always thought he needed at times to let off the gas a little bit on both ends. But at times I've noticed something lacking from him IMHO on the defensive end this year. That concerns me, and concerns me a lot.

[MUDPT]

How many times (and others do this too) do they go baseline, jump up in the air and throw the ball away?  Crean should make a rule, if you go to the baseline, you have to put up a shot, no passes out to the top of the key.

[AlumKCof93]

The two best presumed defenders on the team based upon past assessments are McNeal and Cubillan. IMHO McNeal is looking like James last year; looking at times like he's more interested in doing some things to showcase himself for the pros rather than doing the things that got him to this point. There was a play where I thought he failed to hedge a screen in the Louisville game, and there was a play today where I thought he failed to get back in transition. I probably didn't say anything but positive about McNeal's effort the last two years, in fact I always thought he needed at times to let off the gas a little bit on both ends. But at times I've noticed something lacking from him IMHO on the defensive end this year. That concerns me, and concerns me a lot.

I agree.  This year, McNeal has reminded me of what DJ was doing last year - putting himself ahead of the team. I've never thought that in the past, but I don't like his game right now and think he's the key to turning this around.

[Eye]

Thanks Alum. I'm surprised somebody else hadn't brought this up yet to be honest. DJ seemed to take a lot of grief for that last year (not trying to take sides between those two by any means), and McNeal seems to have gotten a complete pass to this point this year.

[jaygall31]

everyone agrees though that we would not be anywhere near 13 wins without him on the floor correct? He's so vital to our flow...we need him to get it together.

[Eye]

I agree a less-than-perfect/streaky/slighted unfocused McNeal is still clearly one of MU's best three players. I'd just like to see the McNeal that was clearly MU's best all-around player a year ago. Not good I suppose either that Matthews hasn't filled more of that void IMHO. Not sure if that's part of the makeup of Matthews, however.

[Henry Sugar]

McNeal has just had two bad games.  That makes him no different than pretty much everyone else on the team.

For the season, I think he's actually been much improved over last year.  Defense is about the same, but his offense is better.

[NavinRJohnson]

McNeal has just had two bad games.  That makes him no different than pretty much everyone else on the team.

For the season, I think he's actually been much improved over last year.  Defense is about the same, but his offense is better.

I tend to agree with this. However, getting back to my original point at the start of this thread...These are certainly unofficial, but here are Jerel's first half lines for our three Big East road games...

1st half @ WVU:
1-2, 2pts, 2reb, 4to, 2pf


1st half @UL:
2-9, 4pts, 2reb, 4to, 1a, 1pf

1st half @UConn:
0-5, 1pt, 0reb, 0to, 1a, 1pf

Safe to say that he is not only not getting the job done, but he has been putting the team in a hole early. Being the key contributor that he is, if MU wants to have any success on the road, these numbers need to turn around dramatically. He has got to be one of the guys you count on to help them get off to a good start, not a guy to make things more difficult.

[MR.HAYWARD]

Defens has been the same?   right now 4th best defender on the team..at best!

[Eye]

I think he's obviously still MU's best defender when he wants to be. Just think he's taken some possessions off in these last two games. Would still say he's MU's best defender, but not at the consistency level he was at a year ago.